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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27114955">Safeguarding</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonpotter/pseuds/dragonpotter'>dragonpotter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober 2020 [17]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Fictober 2020, Trans Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:27:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>940</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27114955</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonpotter/pseuds/dragonpotter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fictober 2020 Day 17 - “Back off”</p><p>Five times Michael defended Jeremy and one time Jeremy defended him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jeremy Heere &amp; Michael Mell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober 2020 [17]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946611</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Safeguarding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>TW for mentions of transphobia.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When the boys were six, they had only known each other for two years, but they were already close as two kids could be. Back then, the biggest problem the two had to deal with was getting to the tetherball court before anyone else at recess. </p><p>Every day, Michael would yell, “Race ya, Netta!” and they’d chase each other down to tetherball. </p><p>One day, while they were playing a pretty close game, a group of older girls approached them. </p><p>“Why is <em>she</em> playing tetherball?” one of them asked. “Doesn’t she know that it’s a boys’ game?”</p><p>Jeremy looked down and stepped backwards, almost trying to shrink away. </p><p>“Hey, Netta can play whatever she wants!” Michael retorted. “At least she knows cooler activities than you!”</p><p>Surprised at the sharp tongue the first grader had, the girls walked away. </p><p>“Thanks, Micah...” Jeremy whispered. </p><p>“Don’t worry about it!” Michael replied. “They’re just dummies! They don’t know how cool you really are!”</p><hr/><p>“Michael...there’s something I need to tell you.”</p><p>“Yeah? What’s up, Netta?” the other nine-year-old replied.</p><p>Michael’s best friend looked to be on the verge of tears. “I...I think I’m a boy.” Then the brown-haired kid began to actually cry. “Please don’t be mad or weird about it!” Michael hugged his friend. </p><p>“It’s alright!” He said. “It’s perfectly cool! But before anything else, we need to pick you a boy name.”</p><p>So they Googled ‘names for boys’ and searched several websites before finally settling on Jeremy. It was a good name, they both decided. </p><p>Mr. Heere was perfectly accepting, luckily, but the rest of the fourth grade class? Not so much. </p><p>They’d taunt Jeremy by constantly calling him a girl, only using his dead name, and in one particularly nasty case, calling him a certain T-word he’d rather forget. </p><p>When Michael found out, he went straight to the culprit and said, “What do you think you’re doing saying things like that to Jeremy?”</p><p>“She’s confused! I’m just getting through to her head that she’s not a boy!”</p><p>Michael clenched his fist. Was he going to sock the guy? Maybe. But did he? He wasn’t sure. Before he really realized what he was about to do, Michael just said, “It’s called being transgender. And what you’re being right now is transphobic, which is stupid. So back off, dumbass.”</p><p>Well, swearing in school is already bad. When you’re nine? Instant month of detention. </p><p>Still, for Jeremy’s sake, it was worth it.</p><hr/><p>Right after Mrs. Heere left, she sent one final note to Jeremy. It was filled with nothing but criticism. His grades were too low. His anxiety was all in his head. He wasn’t worth bringing to New York with her. </p><p>When Michael saw the note, he immediately tore it to shreds. </p><p>“Who cares what she thinks? She didn’t stick around for you or your dad. If she can’t be bothered to say this shit to your face, it shouldn’t have been worth the note.”</p><p>Jeremy smiled half a sad smile. Then the two of them threw the rest of the letter away.</p><hr/><p>In sophomore year, bullies became all the more hostile towards Jeremy and Michael. Michael was learning to brush it off, but Jeremy was letting it get to him. </p><p>When Rich Goranski made fun of their geekiness for the umpteenth time in November, Michael noticed how Jeremy shrank more and more with every word. Without thinking, Michael turned to Rich and retorted, “Don’t you have any seventh graders to torment right now?”</p><p>No, a height joke wasn’t a very good way to get back at Rich (it wasn’t even a good short joke, anyway), but it’s all the barely-sixteen year old boy could think of. Anything to stand by his Player 2 was enough.</p><hr/><p>The week after Jeremy got back from the hospital was hell. By then, everyone knew he was responsible for the play’s messy climax, and he knew that everyone blamed him. And he knew that everyone hated him. And he knew that now, nobody would stand with him, and he was completely friendless. </p><p>The week after that, Michael sat next to him at lunch. They didn’t really talk much, but it was a start. </p><p>They did start to talk again over time, and even if Michael and Christine were the only people who would talk to Jeremy anymore, it was enough for him. </p><p>If anyone ever tried to give Jeremy shit for the play, Michael would simply tell them, “Fuck off.”</p><p>Apparently, being tall and unashamed was all it took for people to leave you and your best friend alone.</p><hr/><p>Michael was having a shitty day. His anxiety was getting to him and none of his breathing tactics were doing anything for him. And to top off his awful mood with the cherry of terrible, he was on the verge of a full-on panic attack in the middle of PE. </p><p>He excused himself to the bleachers. After what may have been no time at all or several minutes, he heard Jeremy say, “Micah?”</p><p>Michael nodded, to show he was listening, but didn’t say anything. </p><p>“Anxiety’s a bitch, I know.” Jeremy said. “I did dumb things to get through it. But there are better ways. One is just being with a loved one.” They were both silent for a few minutes. Jeremy continued, “I’m still sorry for what happened at the party. But how about now, I try better?” </p><p>Still no reply, which Jeremy got. “I’ll just be here to help from now on, Micah. I promise.”</p><p>And they just sat there, taking in the emotion as Jeremy prepared to talk down anyone that would give his safeguard shit. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok I’ll admit I’m very behind on fictober. I’ve been lacking time and motivation, but I swear I’m trying to catch up</p></blockquote></div></div>
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